IENG 480 Productivity Analysis
This course introduces different theories and engineering applications of production planning and inventory control (for both deterministic and stochastic demand) essential for manufacturing shop floors. Topics of this course include forecasting, production scheduling, aggregate planning, material requirement planning (MRP), theory of constraints, assembly line balancing, sequencing algorithms, number of required machines, supply chain management, inventory and production flows, facilities location and layout, and capacity analysis. This course utilizes advanced quantitative methods such as optimization and simulation modeling to illustrate the concepts.
Prerequisites
4 Undergraduate credits
Effective May 7, 2026 to present
Learning outcomes
General
- Evaluate production processes (inventory, production control, and job scheduling) using mathematical algorithms.
- Compare the trade-offs that govern the daily operations of the production system.
- Evaluate inventory and Material Requirement Planning/Just-In-Time control policies for deterministic and stochastic demands to meet cost and service targets.
- Assess production scheduling, sequencing, and project planning problems using mathematical models and optimization (Linear Programming/Mixed Integer Linear Programming) methods.
- Evaluate manufacturing/flow systems using simulation and facilities planning tools.
- Apply effective technical communication skills in making production-related recommendations to diverse stakeholders.